I’ve always been intrigued by international affairs, leading me to craft my new column topic: looks into the sports world of different cultures. These columns will explore favored sports, typical active lifestyles, and rankings the country boasts.
The Japanese culture is intricate and beautiful in many ways and is known for its emphasis on tradition and a peaceful lifestyle. I adore Japan and hope to visit it one day. There are many distinct aspects of their culture, but the Japanese house a strong love for martial arts, their most cherished form of sport. Martial arts have important physical, spiritual, and religious value in Japan.
Martial arts traces back to medieval Japan. It is a long-standing sport that is intended to both foster peace and discipline. Although famed in Japanese culture, it originated in China and then traveled to Japan, where weaponry became incorporated. This created denizens called samurai warriors, a respected demographic that no longer exists today. The samurai used bows, swords, and spears in ancient warfare, which today have been replaced by judo (‘the way of softness/gentleness’) and consists of firm throws and attacks used primarily for self-defense. In modern-day Japan, judo, karate (’empty hand’), and aikido (‘way of meeting spirit’) are the main forms of martial arts.
Along with martial arts, Japanese culture also favors baseball and tennis. Baseball is widely popular in Japan and is considered Japan’s national sport (though it is not actually.) Even high school baseball is valued, as the National High School Baseball Championships (or Koshien) are highly watched every summer. A commonality between baseball and tennis is that they were both introduced to Japan in the late 1800s, during which Japan encouraged the spread of Western values and customs into their culture. Tennis in Japan is played differently than it is in the US; in Japan, they use a 100% rubber ball, which is called “soft tennis.” As a tennis player, I’m intrigued but don’t think I’d do well playing soft tennis.
As stated earlier, Japanese people live peacefully. Meditation and the spirit of Zen are embraced wholly in their culture, but they are also known to be very fit. I love this—meditation is terribly underrated. The general fitness of the Japanese population, young and old, is impressive. This is likely due to their practice of “Rajio taiso,” or radio calisthenics. Every day, a short exercise routine is broadcast over national radio, and all ages willingly participate. It’s even enforced in public schools. Their longevity is attributed to this, and healthy diets rich in seafood—yum.
Generally, the Japanese are talented athletically: they have garnered 497 Olympic medals, excluding the Winter Olympics. They have won the most gold medals in judo, karate, and skateboarding, which are other popular pastimes in Japan. They hosted the most recent Olympics, and Nishiya Momiji became the youngest Japanese gold medalist ever with her victory in street skateboarding.
Japanese culture is so beautiful and deserves to be revered by all. I dream of visiting one day and incorporating more of their values into my own life, such as meditating consistently and spending more time in nature. Consider this a love letter to Japanese sports and lifestyle.
